St. Louis, Mo., November 19, 2014 –The Salvation Army’s 50-foot Tree of Lights will be the focal point when Christmas in St. Louis holds its annual Holiday Festival of Lights celebration starting at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, November 22 at Aloe Plaza, across from Union Station.

The Army’s tree, which symbolizes the Tree of Lights campaign, will be lit at 6:15 p.m. The Tree of Lights campaign, in its 67th year, is a major source of funding for the dozens of programs and services The Salvation Army provides in St. Louis.

Last year, The Salvation Army in eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois provided 453,502 meals to hungry men, women and children, 178,715 nights of shelter to the community’s homeless, 94,985 food pantry boxes to families in need, and 139,779 Christmas toys and gifts.

People are asked to donate by sending a check to The Salvation Army Tree of Lights, 1130 Hampton Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63139 or by going online at www.STLSalvationArmy.org or by texting “TREEOFLIGHTS” all one word to 41444.

About The Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army is an international organization that has been faithfully serving St. Louis since 1881. For more than 130 years, St. Louis residents with no place to go have turned to The Salvation Army for compassion, strength, and encouragement. The Salvation Army serves community members 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year through dozens of different programs and services that are designed to help people attain, or regain, self-sufficiency. For more information, go to www.stlsalvationarmy.org.